What did everyone do for 6 June?

[SrBenelli]

Just curious what others did to honor the 65th anniversary of D Day.
"Able Company" was split.......some attended a living history event south of Statesville, NC.....a truly special event with a large veteran presence
The other half went "treasure hunting" at some newly discovered, military-heavy antique stores.......we're still waiting for an AAR to find out what "goodies" were obtained for our displays

So......what did y'all do today?

[b325]

I watched TV and envy my old PSG as he did the Normady jump this year, lucky guy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

would like more info on living history in NC

[137e R.I.]

I watched the telly for several hours, switching from US telly to French satellite (A2 channel). The coverage on A2 was decent, and I thought the speeches were good. Showed a lot more of the many different veterans that were there than on US tv. There were even 1 or 2 Germans that were present. Overall its the same stuff rehashed I've been recording since 1984, all the old tapes I have collecting dust somewhere. One does see the veterans get much older as the years go by.

[Artgunner]

I built another event that will be very nice for our area. ;D

Steve you were right in saying that for a fist time event, there was a large turnout of spectators and veterans. I wish you could have come. The owner of the private military museum wants to host an event every year around June 6th and include a small public battle. I told him that I could make his dream come true and would be honored. This guy is 75 years old and had a dream to build a museum and honor vetrans of all wars.

Very humbling people to work with unlike corporate museums that have issues.

What surprised me was the fact that when I tried to buy my lunch at the BBQ vendor, the attendant told me that the museum owner paid in advance for all reenactor lunches and drinks for entire day. Another special note is that he has the county backing the museum via their donations of items such as uniforms with pictures. In turn, the vets stand beside their items and answer questions. Very cool! You can talk to the vet and see them at age 18 in theater. It was truly a very nice 1st time event and such wonderful folks to be associated with. So, we have another event for June!

[sixoclock]

The highlight of my 6 June was helping put an 82nd Airborne D-Day veteran back in uniform.

At the Silent Wings Museum event in Lubbock, some of the WWII ADT members were discussing veteran Charles Ballard's request to suit up and fly with them in the C-47.

It so happened a friend had left an un-needed, slightly used paratroopers uniform with me to move. After trying on the jacket which was a fit, he went and changed into the pants. When he emerged, his wife gave a big smile and said she did not recognize him. He almost teared up when he recalled his jump into Normandy 65 years ago.

He wore the uniform (and cowboy boots) the rest of the day. What are the odds? I had the uniform, he came to the commemoration at the museum, the uniform fit, and it had the All American patch already on the shoulder. He looked at the patch and said it was the right one, he had no need for a "chicken choker" patch.

It was a good day of honoring these men and their service.

[twhigham]

2 of our guys went to a veteran's salute at the Road To Victory museum in Stuart, Fl. A few others did a film shoot in Orlando. I stayed home and fixed the straps on my helmet and worked on a scale model.

And spent most of the day shopping with the wife because she's the one that allows me to keep going to other events.

[USCGBM1]

I took a USCG Vet out to lunch on Friday and we had our usual talks about his service and other things. He was a LCVP boat engineer and made all the landings that the SAMUEL CHASE was involved with. He had a boat shot out from under him at Southern France.

During the invasion of Normandy, he was working Omaha beach and supposed to be in the 8th wave. Things got screwed up and he went in a lot earlier than he was supposed to. After the me were ashore, the CHASE's secondary duty was a triage ship for treating and transporting casualties back to England since she had 5 operating rooms on board. He spent some time transporting casualties back to the ship as well as assisting LCI-85(?) when it as in a bad way.

Incidentally, many of the Omaha landing pics are of the CHASE's boats (APA-26) since she carried a large number of photographers and correspondents for the operation.

Here's an interesting note:

warphotos.basnetworks.net/World_War_Two/D-Day_-_June_6th_1944/40/american_landing_craft_at_omaha/

this pic is often times mis-labeled as a "burning landing craft" or "landing craft on fire" coming into Omaha. He told me that his buddy, a guy named Betts was the coxswain of this boat and that the smoke came from the accidental discharge of a smoke grenade. It played hell with driving into the beach trying to see through all the smoke.

Jim

[SrBenelli]

Jun 7, 2009 8:18:38 GMT -5 sixoclock said:

The highlight of my 6 June was helping put an 82nd Airborne D-Day veteran back in uniform.

He wore the uniform (and cowboy boots) the rest of the day. What are the odds? I had the uniform, he came to the commemoration at the museum, the uniform fit, and it had the All American patch already on the shoulder. He looked at the patch and said it was the right one, he had no need for a "chicken choker" patch.

Outstanding!

[34thtcflyboy]

I was on the LST-325 that landed at Normandy. It was a great time!

[Dave]

Spent the day at the Reading MAAM Airshow!

Was a huge blast and very respective.

[biscuits]

I and another fellow from my unit spent the day at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, VA. FWIW, I noticed a several dozen other reenactors were set up with displays there as well. It was a well-attended event...lot's of families and children, a contingent of the 82nd AB, and of course plenty of veterans in attendance. Obviously the Overlord veterans were the honored guests, but there were plenty of other veterans and their families in attendance as well, from WWII on through the present.

[ilovemymauser]

i was suppose to go to a d-day paintball game but instead i sat home and watch ww2 documentaries on the tv

[RM30AU]

I spent the day changing out a set of magnetos on a G-120A primary flight trainer for the Luftwaffe! What irony!

[cco23i]

I had guard drill so really was kinda busy. I knew it Phil is a German spy!!!!

Scott

[chiefyeomanbb55]

I was at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford. The memorial asked members of the 29th Infantry Division to set up two tents with exhibits depicting uniforms and equipment of American and Allied forces at D-Day. We set up two GP-medium tents with the following displays

29th Infantry Division
BAR gunner and assistant gunner, 116th infantry
116th Infantryman
121st engineer combat battalion soldier

U.S. Army medic
U.S. Army Air Corps
82nd Airborne infantryman
101st Airborne infantryman
4th Infantry Division infantryman

US Navy/US Coast Guard
US Navy Beachmaster unit


British para
British infantryman
Canadian infantryman

We had a lot of visitors come through our tents, including a many D-Day veterans. It was an honor to shake their hands.

On Sunday, June 7, our unit chaplain conducted a field religious service on the memorial grounds. The order of the service was based on his research of what chaplains in England did in the way of services on Sunday, May 28th -- the last Sunday before the invasion. The service was held in a GP-large tent and was filled to capacity with some D-Day veterans and visitors to the memorial.

Chief Mike

[RM30AU]

Scott,

I never made a secret of it. Besides, it pays the bills.

[fortworthgal]

We watched the D-Day ceremonies from Normandy on MSNBC and C-Span, then planted our backyard Victory Garden during the afternoon.

[keystonetwoeight]

I watched SPR (again), the first 4 episodes of Band of Brothers, and took a bunch of Cub Scouts out to see some reenactors talk about the invasion.

[Roosevelt's SS]

I was at the Army Wings and Wheels event in Poplar Grove, IL flying in an L-3.

Nice event!

[mudpuppy]

We went to a local Air Show for the weekend, we had our display at the reenactors encampment. We saw lots of Veterans come by to look and say hello. Lots of nice planes too. Pup